DreamWorks Takes Stand Against AI: 'The Bad Guys 2' Credits Include Legal Warning

The Bad Guys 2's Credits Say The Film 'May Not Be Used To Train AI'

The Bad Guys 2, the sequel to the surprise 2022 animated hit starring anthropomorphic villains turned good guys, has a surprising message in its credits that, even if you're not tuned into DreamWorks' heist series, should delight fans of animation. The film is out on Friday, August 1, but some folks saw early screenings and noticed that in the credits, the company flatly lays out that the movie may not be used to train generative AI programs, and anyone who uses it to do so will get a call from the company's lawyers. The full text, shown at the end of The Bad Guys 2's credits, reads as follows: "All rights in this work are reserved for purposes of laws in all jurisdictions pertaining to data mining or AI training, including but not limited to Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790. This work may not be used to train AI." This isn't the first time a DreamWorks movie using CGI has done this, as the live-action How to Train Your Dragon film that premiered in June also had similar protections listed at the end of its credits. As creatives continue to fight for more protections against artificial intelligence programs scraping their work to generate slop, we'll probably see more animated movies including such legalese to protect their work. I could be cynical and say this is just a big corporation protecting its IP from those who would choose to profit from it, but the idealist in me yells over the cynic and says this is a big win for human-made art. If companies like DreamWorks are taking legal measures to ensure that their animated works are protected, hopefully that means those artists will be able to keep doing what they're doing without fear of losing their jobs to programs that will make worse art for less money. Unfortunately, AI art continues to encroach on nearly every creative industry. It feels like every other day, we're covering some instance of a game developer or publisher using AI-generated assets in their games and marketing here at Kotaku. Companies, big and small, are using it, while the richest people on the planet who have everything to gain by cutting out workers insist it's an inevitability. Thankfully, some subsets of the industry are winning victories in this area. Voice actors in the SAG-AFTRA union, for instance, have won some guardrails and protections against AI use, which is significant as companies have been using the tech to emulate their voices, essentially cutting them out of the process.

Dreamworks is fighting AI as fans find a warning at the end of new animated movie Bad Guys 2 credits, threatening legal action if the film is used to train AI programs

Hollywood is hitting back at AI artists reusing already existing media In an age where AI is being used in movies more than ever before, it looks like some parts of Hollywood are fighting back as Dreamworks' new animated movie has warned legal action against anyone looking to use the film to train AI models. At the very end of The Bad Guys 2, the credits read, "All rights in this work are reserved for purposes of laws in all jurisdictions pertaining to data mining or AI training, including but not limited to Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790. This work may not be used to train AI," as found by Twitter user Rendy Jones. Check out the post below. So what does this mean? This is a way to stop AI 'artists' from using The Bad Guys 2 to teach AI how to recreate similar content, and profit without ever really creating anything. This is also known as 'spawning.' If any AI artist is caught doing so, we expect they'd receive a hefty lawsuit from DreamWorks. It looks like fans are loving how the animation studio is standing up for its artists, as one commented, "Honestly? Good on them. More creators should be this clear about protecting their work," and another replied, "Necessary disclaimer going forward." This is a positive move in the right direction for animators and other creatives who work in the industry and face losing out on work opportunities due to AI. Other than using the tech to manipulate and duplicate already existing visual content, movies and TV shows have also been known to use AI to write scripts, translate subtitles. However, this comes just days after IMAX announced it is hosting Runway's third annual AI Film Festival, where over six thousand films made with AI were submitted. So, it looks like not all of the film industry shares the same view on AI. New sequel The Bad Guys 2 follows reformed criminals Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), as they are swept up in a high-stakes heist masterminded by franchise newcomers, the Bad Girls.

DreamWorks Includes AI Training Warning In The Bad Guys 2 End Credits - IGN

DreamWorks has included a warning in The Bad Guys 2 credits that makes it clear the film should not be used to train AI, as the future of artificial intelligence warps and becomes uncertain for creatives. DreamWorks Studios included a clause at the end of the credits for the film that lets viewers know it cannot be used to train AI -- and if it is, lawyers will come knocking. "All rights in this work are reserved for purposes of laws in all jurisdictions pertaining to data mining or AI training, including but not limited to Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790," reads text revealed by X / Twitter user Rendy Jones, shown at the end of the credits. "This work may not be used to train AI." The Bad Guys 2 doesn't premiere in theaters until August 1 but some eagle eyed viewers caught the sting at the end of the credits during early screenings. Clearly, DreamWorks is laying down the law. To be fair, it isn't the first time the studio has been vocal about keeping its work out of the hands of AI models. The live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon, which premiered in June, also had a similar tag at the end of the credits, making sure folks knew the legal repercussions of attempting to use any part of the film in an AI program. Not everyone in Hollywood has the same attitude, however. Last year, Netflix said audiences "don't much care" about either budgets for film and TV, or even the technology used to make them, and that generative AI was "a great way for creators to tell better stories." Last month, Disney joined forces with Universal to sue Midjourney for copyright infringement, stating that the AI-powered image generator is a "bottomless pit of plagiarism." Shrek is one of the properties that is being cited as part of Midjourney's infringement offenses, as well as Marvel characters, Star Wars characters, Despicable Me's iconic Minions, and others. According to a BlueSky user who combed through the docs, there are over 30 comparisons between studio artwork and Midjourney outputs. Further, according to the docs, this suit has been percolating since November 2024, when Midjourney was served a demand letter -- essentially an attempt to settle an issue out of court -- from Disney, but it failed to respond and then proceeded to develop more models that reportedly infringed on existing copyrights. Universal recently served the company another demand letter at the end of May, which means the studios finally decided to hit the gas pedal on taking down Midjourney. Generative AI is one of the hottest topics within the video game and entertainment industries, which have both suffered massive layoffs in recent years. Generative AI thus far has drawn criticism from players and creators due to a mix of ethical issues, rights issues, and AI's struggles to produce content audiences actually enjoy. In March, social media platforms were flooded with AI-generated Studio Ghibli-inspired images as part of a trend sparked by the launch of OpenAI's new GPT‑4o image generator. It caused a vociferous debate that resurfaced anti-AI comments from creator Hayao Miyazaki.